Ceramic coating is a liquid polymer that is applied by hand to the exterior of a car. It creates a chemical bond with the factory paint and protects it from environmental hazards such as UV rays, dirt, and grime.

Ceramic coatings provide exceptional durability, improve contamination resistance, make car washes effortless, reduce scratches and swirl marks, and improve the paint’s gloss. Depending on the vehicle usage and ceramic coating, expect a lifespan of two to five years on a daily driven vehicle with proper maintenance.

Ceramic coatings are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water and other liquids. This makes it easier to clean your car and keep it looking new.

1. Long-Lasting Durability

Ceramic coatings have a lifespan measured in years compared to car waxes and paint sealants that only provide a few weeks or months of protection per application. Not having to reapply paint protection product multiple times per year saves a lot of work and allows for more time spent enjoying the shine and less maintaining it.

One thing that sets ceramic coatings apart from other paint protection products is their resistance to chemicals. Safely removing stubborn contaminants, such as bug guts, tree sap, road tar, and brake dust, can require an all-purpose cleaner or other strong chemicals that remove any previously applied car wax or paint sealant. Ceramic coatings have incredible chemical resistance and need abrasives to remove them from the paint after application.

2. Contamination Resistance

Carnauba waxes are the original form of paint protection and are still worth using under certain circumstances. However, the carnauba waxes and, to a lesser extent, paint sealants might not protect the paint from all forms of contamination. While a ceramic coating isn’t impenetrable, it offers greatly improved resistance to various types of contamination, such as bird droppings, bug splatter, tree sap, road tar, and even road paint.

Leaving contamination on the paint for too long can damage the ceramic coating, but the good news is that the damage won’t likely make it to the paint. It’s best to think of a ceramic coating as a semipermanent sacrificial barrier between the car’s paint and the elements.

3. Easy Cleaning Properties

Washing a car with a ceramic coating is effortless compared to an uncoated car. Contamination has a more challenging time bonding to the surface, and much of the debris will wash away during the initial rinse. Only the slightest trace of contamination remains when pressure washing, even the dirtiest paint.

Washing off months of winter road grime before physically touching the paint is a sight to behold. Removing as much contamination as possible before touching it with a microfiber towel or wash mitt will help keep scratches and swirls to a minimum.

4. Scratch Resistance

Cars come with varying degrees of paint hardness; some paint is so easy to scratch that even a high-quality microfiber towel can cause marring. When a car has soft paint that will scratch and swirl even when you look in its general direction, adding a ceramic coating will help reduce the chance of wash-induced damage.

A ceramic coating’s easy cleaning ability to “shed dirt and debris” is another way that it can help reduce paint scratches. Using less pressure to remove contamination and fewer wipes to dry the paint ultimately extends the time the paint can remain free of swirl marks. Ceramic paint coatings don’t make the paint bulletproof and heavy scratches will still make their way into the clear coat and beyond, depending on the cause.

5. Gloss Enhancement

Ceramic coatings are the icing on the cake after performing a paint correction. Most of the paint’s beauty (gloss, shine, reflections) comes from the hours spent polishing and, in some cases, compounding. However, ceramic coatings can help hide minor paint damage, such as micro-pitting on the front bumper, hood, and mirrors from road debris (dirt, salt, sand, etc.).

A ceramic coating won’t fix a loss of gloss due to clear-coat failure, but it can help roll back the miles and give a used car a more youthful appearance in specific scenarios.

These are general prices. Price will change based on size of vehicle.

Coating Price

$250 to $600